Making Waves In Kutztown Marine Science Is Alive, Well And Landlocked

Students who want to study oceanography probably would look for a college with palm trees, sunshine, white sand and blue water - in places like Florida, California or Hawaii.

They might overlook a campus practically in their own backyard - landlocked Kutztown University.

No romantic warm ocean breezes gently caress Old Main. No gleaming research vessels, with robot submersibles on their decks, are docked right outside the classrooms. And, as one professor warned, there are no "bikinis, suntan oil, or scuba diving."

The nearest beach is almost 100 miles east of the Berks County campus, and that's just New Jersey - not exactly an exotic locale.

But it's true. Kutztown offers a bachelor of arts degree in marine science. This spring, students will graduate from the program for the 10th year.

Many people have the wrong perception of what oceanography's all about. The biggest misconception is that it just means adventure on thehigh seas, perhaps following in the wake of Jacques Cousteau's "Calypso." Others think it means biology and only biology.

Such misconceptions are one reason why Kutztown's program has "a very high attrition rate." Another is that it just might be the toughest degree program on campus.

Four years ago, about 35 freshman were enrolled. This year, only four seniors are expected to graduate.

Obviously, it's also a small program. There aren't any on-campus jokes about the irony of taking marine science at Kutztown because many students don't even know it exists.

Those in the program spend long hours learning the basics in rigorous classroom settings before ever hearing the crash of a wave. They must be able to master math and science - not just biology, but also chemistry, physics and geology.

"An oceanographer has to be a jack of all trades," said Dr. Bruce Rowell, chairman of the department of physical science. "He or she must be conversant in all four disciplines. You cannot be myopic. you've got to be broad-based.

"It is classical science applied to the oceans. Some people aren't prepared to handle that."

Eventually students in the program do get to work at the ocean. But most have to give up a couple summers to do it. Initially they "never even get their feet wet, much less put on a bathing suit." Except for a possible weekend field trip, freshman may not even see the ocean.

Fifty percent of the students drop out in the first year, according to Rowell. Many realize they are not science-oriented but were "looking for something quasi-scientific."

Dr. J. Wesley Bahorik, who teaches biology science, said those students enjoy TV documentaries about discoveries in the ocean but have little appreciation for the months of research that may precede such programs. Rowell said an "amazing percentage" of those who wash out of marine science become business majors at Kutztown.

Students who remain in the program are amazed that others on campus seem to have so much free time, while they spend hours on weekends writing up laboratory reports.

Bill Mulliniks, one of the seniors, remembers Rowell warned that they'd have to be "somewhat masochistic" to want to study marine science. "As an athlete might say no pain, no gain," said Mulliniks.

Rowell said high school students considering oceanography may have a difficult time unless they take as many math and science courses as possible before entering college.

Why would anyone want to tackle such a tough subject? Seniors say they have a natural curiousity, a desire to learn why things happen. They also consider the oceans, which cover more than 70 percent of the Earth, the last great frontier on the planet.

"I love the ocean," said 26-year-old George Parrish of Philadelphia. "I think the sea is fascinating. It's just full of surprises."

Students learn how the ocean can perpetuate and even heal itself. "It's like one living organism," said 28-year-old Robert Field of Amsterdam, N.Y.

"There's a lot on this planet we still don't know about," said 22-year- old Mulliniks, whose home is in Lower Bucks County. "If we had put as much into studying the ocean as we did into space, we'd know much more about ourselves and our past, and it would help us to advance ourselves."

The four seniors went to Kutztown because the price was right and it is close to home. Rowell, who lives in Lower Macungie Township, said most students live within 200 miles of the campus.

"I'm impressed with Kutztown," said 22-year-old Martin Ebel of north Cambria County. "For the size of the school and the size of the program, itis very good. It's been great."

Seniors consider small classes a plus because they can get individual instruction in marine science and learn more from each other. "The professors have an interest in this as much more than just a job," said Parrish. He said teachers often work with students on their own time.